The Scheme is open to any member country of the World Trade Organisation or the United Nations or one of its Specialised Agencies. Countries can participate in some or all of the produce concerned.

Countries join the Scheme via a request by their Government to the OECD Secretary-General. Within three years of joining the Scheme, they must establish an export quality control of the produce in accordance with the guidelines defined by the Scheme. Exporting countries must conform with the standards adopted by the Scheme and importing countries must recognise them as standards which are to applied to exported fruit and vegetables produced in the country of origin.